Misfortune by L.Bann (christmas read aloud TXT) 📖

it wasn’t working that well.
“Morning Aunt Julie” I mumbled. I was still half asleep.
“So, why were you asleep on your laptop last night?” my aunt asked.
“Um, I was, um, looking at pictures on my laptop, and I fell asleep” I replied.
“What pictures were you looking at?” she asked, putting a pancake on my plate.
I covered it with syrup,” Just of me and dad and my mum” I said. My aunt looked at me and went back to the stove. ”Sorry”.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t stomach the taste of the sickly syrup sliding down my throat so I only had one mouthful and then I left to have a shower.
“Aren’t you hungry?” she said.
“No” I said. I went to my bathroom and had a shower. I got ready for school and started to get a bit hungry. I went to my kitchen and grabbed an apple. I saw my bus come down my lane.
“Daisy, can I talk to you for a second” my dad said, coming out of his bedroom.
“I can’t I have to go to school now” I replied walking away from him. I didn’t want to talk to him right before I go to school.
I walked to the bus, and saw Jenna on it. I went to sit next to her, but someone stopped me on my way.
“Daisy, are you OK?” they said. I ignored them.
“Daisy, how are you feeling” I heard Jenna say. I went over to her seat and sat down next to her. ”OK, I love you and I think you should cry but not before we get to school. I hope you’re not wearing make-up”.
“No, I couldn’t be bothered. OK, I’ll stop crying” I replied. I lent on her shoulder. She lent on my head. Just like the funeral. I could see people looking at me.
“What are you staring at?” Jenna shouted. I love Jenna’s confidence in having a go at people. She was so protective of me.
I felt the bus stop and everyone got off. Jenna and I went to our home room. When I walked in every looked at me.
“Just ignore them” Jenna mumbled.
I sat down and then our tutor walked in.
“Any people that signed up for the exchange go to reception after registration” she shouted over the noise.
“Can’t wait” I said sarcastically.
“I can’t believe I signed up for this. I hate you for making me do this” Jenna sighed.
I just looked at her. The bell went so Jenna and I went to reception. Loads of people were already there.
“Come on, hurry up girls” one person said.
We just snuck in the back of the crowd. The teachers and the principal were talking quietly at the front.
“Alright everyone, we are now going to redirect into the gym. Be quiet, though, people are in lessons” my principal said.
We all walked to the gymnasium.
“Everyone from this school, go the left of the gym, and everyone else go on the other side of the gym” she instructed. Everyone did what they are told, but there was a loud echo from everyone talking.
“Right, this will take a long time if everyone keeps talking. Be quiet everyone” she shouted. Everyone stopped talking.
“OK then, let’s get you paired up. Right, Abbey Fosters and Esther Collins, Blake Nelson and Dallas Butler, Bria West and Tori May, Harry Mullins...”
“Ugh, I hate him” I sighed.
“... and Ben Campbell”
“He’s my dad’s friend’s son” I explained to Jenna.
“Oooh” she said. I just looked at her.
“Jenna Lee and Faith White”
“Ha-ha” I laughed silently.
“Shut up you bum” she groaned at me.
“Alvin Morris and Dustin Barnes, Daisy Cooper and April Evans”
I walked up to my principal and greeted my exchange ‘friend’. We walked the same way that Jenna walked. She was waiting for me outside the gym.
“Who did you get?” she asked me, ignoring her friend.
“Um, Jenna she’s asking you a question”
“Oh ...” Jenna walked away to her lesson.
“We have Maths first” I explained.
“It’s very quiet here isn’t it” she said.
“Well, lessons have started” I replied.
“Oh, fair beans” she said. I just looked at her. I obviously didn’t get the smartest.
“What are we learning in maths?” she asked.
“Uh, probably adding stuff up” I replied, with a sarcastic tone.
“Oh good, I’m good at that” she smiled.
“I was being sarcastic” I said.
“I know...” she trailed off.
We got to maths and everyone was staring at me and my ‘friend’.
“Come in silently and sit down” my maths teacher said.


2

There were a couple of seats at the back and who do you know, Harry Mullins was sitting at the back. What a bummer. When I sat down he moved instantly to sit beside me.
“Hi Daisy” he said with an eager voice.
“Hi Harry, hi Ben. My dad told me that you are doing the exchange” I explained.
“Yeah there pretty tight with each other” he grinned. I grinned back.
“Oh, so do you two know each other?” Harry said with a worried voice.
“Sort of. Well, we haven’t really met before properly, so, hi I’m Ben and you are” he said, holding out his hand.
“Nice to meet you Ben, I’m Daisy” I laughed, shaking his hand.
“Ssssh” my teacher spat.
“OK that’s enough of that” Harry said, pulling our hands apart. “Daisy, I heard about what happened, with your mum”.
“Thanks for reminding me” I sighed.
“Well that wasn’t clever” I heard Ben whisper to Harry. ”Is your dad OK, Daisy?”
“He’s … hanging on” I sighed again.
“Yeah, my dad’s pretty torn up as well. She made the best chocolate muffins” he sighed.
I gave a small smile and got out my maths book.
“I’m really good at algebra” my ‘friend’ said.
Then, four more people from the exchange came in.
“Be quiet when you come in” he shouted again. He is so annoying.
I had English and Drama for the next 2 periods. Then it was lunchtime.
I specifically chose a place to meet Jenna so we could have lunch with each other and our ‘friends’.
“So, how have you been holding up” she asked.
“Well, I have now found out that she is a proper idiot. She made a complete fool out of herself in Drama. I was so embarrassed; everyone was laughing at me afterwards”.
“Oh, you poor thing. Well, Faith is OK. A bit, you know, out there, but then again, most of them are” she exaggerated.
We got in line for lunch and I saw Harry and Ben. Harry waved and Ben just rolled his eyes.
“Please make sure Harry doesn’t sit with us” I ordered.
“Just because he loves you” she laughed.
“I love the food here. It’s so much better than our food” April said, putting a load of pasta on her plate.
We all sat down together, me and Jenna on one side and Faith and April on the other side.
“Well, two more lessons and then I get to go home” I said.
“Daisy!!” came Harry’s voice.
“Oh my flipping god” I moaned.
“I feel so sorry for you” she said.
“Hi Daisy” Harry said getting really close to me.
“Hi Ben” I grinned. ”Hi Harry”.
“So, salad, that’s really healthy” he smiled.
“Yeah, well I’m not going to eat it” I replied, pushing the tray away from me.
Jenna put her arm around my shoulder and gave me a hug. I hugged her back.
I was silent for a bit after that. Faith and April just talked to each other. Harry and Ben rarely talked to each other. I just kept hugging Jenna. I tried really hard not to cry but I couldn’t help myself.
Jenna obviously saw that a tear fell on her lap because she got up and took my hand. She led me out of the lunch hall and into the girl’s toilets.
“I’m sorry Jenna” I cried.
“It’s OK” she said hugging me. “You can’t help it”.
We stayed in there until afternoon registration and we left the bathroom. We were really early so we got the back seats. Then people started to walk in.
“Do I look like I’ve been crying?” I asked.
“No you look fine” she replied. “I really hope that Harry is convinced that is was his fault that you started crying”
I tried to laugh but I wasn’t in the mood. Then Harry walked in with Ben.
“Please tell him to sit somewhere else. I don’t want to talk to him” I groaned.
He came over really slowly but he sat in front of us.
“Are you OK...” Harry started.
“Look, not to be rude to Ben, but Daisy isn’t in the best mood right now, I don’t know why” she gave a small pause as in to enhance the feeling as it was his fault “ so she doesn’t won’t to talk to anyone, and could you possibly sit not near her, thanks, and, no offense”.
I saw Ben smile.
“Um, yeah, uh” Harry started but then he just left.
“Ben” I moderately shouted. I gestured to him from across the room. Harry tried to come over with him but I think he said that I only wanted to talk to him.
“Yeah” he said.
“All I wanted to say is that I feel really sorry for you being with Harry” I replied.
“Yeah. After you left he was saying stuff like, ‘Shall we go and check up on you’. I wasn’t trying to be mean, you know, not going to see how you were but I didn’t want to go to the girl’s bathroom and I’m guessing you didn’t want loads of attention”.
“How did you know we went to the girl’s bathroom? What, you have like ten sisters or something?” Jenna asked.
“No, I have two brothers but I go with the stereo-typed ideas” he replied.
“OK, well I think Harry wants’ you back now. He looks a bit alone” I explained.
“OK, I’ll probably see you when my dad comes over, I’ll beg him to take me to your place if he decides not to” he said, with a grin, and then he walked away.
“Settle down everyone” our tutor said. Then Faith and April walked in.
“Jenna and Daisy, I want a word with you in a minute” she said across the room.
Faith and April came over and sat with us.
“I’m sorry that we left you alone, but my life is pretty messed up at the moment” I explained.
“Oh, that’s OK. We had fun just being lost” April said, and smiled a Faith, who giggled.
Our tutor took the register and everyone went outside but Jenna, I, April and Faith went up to the front.
“So, can you please explain why you left April and Faith” she ordered.
“Well, Jenna and I went to the bathroom” I explained.
“Why didn’t you ask them if they wanted to go with you?” she asked
“Because I was crying” I replied.
“Why were you crying?” she asked again.
“Because my mum has died recently” I muttered.
She didn’t say anything after that, so we just left.
“Are you OK?” Jenna asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be OK” I replied. We all walked out to the school field and Harry and Ben started to walk our way.
“What the hell is his problem” I groaned. I gestured April and Faith to come inside and we went straight to our lesson.
“What do we have next?” Faith asked.
“We have health class...” I replied.
“Fun” Jenna said with a sarcastic voice.
The bell went for the next lesson and we walked together. We were the first there so we got the back of the class again. I crossed my fingers for